1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a muffler arrangement structure for reducing exhaust sound generated by motorcycles engines or the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
A motorcycles muffler is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-10-86869. In the motorcycles of this type, a muffler for reducing exhaust sound generated by an engine is generally disposed on the left or right of a rear swing arm unit for suspending a rear wheel on the rear portion of the vehicle body.
In recent years, so-called American type motorcycles are available, include those having lower vehicle heights which are called xe2x80x9clowdown.xe2x80x9d In such motorcycles, the muffler is arranged on the left or right of the rear swing arm unit, as described above, for securing a bank angle when the motorcycle is inclined.
However, arranging the muffler on the left or right of the rear swing arm unit while reducing the vehicle height, as described above, may cause a problem in that the position where the muffler is disposed is unbalanced, and thus the appearance is not preferable. Therefore, simply lowering the position to arrange the muffler while reducing the vehicle height was considered. However, a problem may arise in that the angle of bank for the case of being inclined may not be secured.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a muffler arrangement structure in which a superior design is realized by lowering the position to arrange the muffler and ensured the angle of bank for the case of being inclined.
In order to solve the problem, a muffler arrangement structure according to the present invention is applied for a vehicle including an engine to be suspended at the longitudinal midsection of the vehicle body (for example, an engine 9 described in the embodiment). A front wheel is provided to be suspended on the front side of the vehicle body (for example a front wheel 7 in the embodiment) with a rear swing arm unit provided on the rear portion of the vehicle body so as to be pivotable about the lateral axis thereof (for example, a rear swing arm unit 11 in the embodiment). A rear wheel is suspended at the rear swing arm unit and driven by a driving force of the engine (for example, a rear wheel 12 in the embodiment). The muffler is provided for reducing the exhaust sound generated by the engine (for example, the muffler 501 in the embodiment). The muffler extends from the engine rearwardly of the vehicle body and is disposed directly below the rear swing arm unit.
In this manner, since the muffler for reducing exhaust sound generated by the engine extends from the engine rearwardly of the vehicle body and is disposed directly below the rear swing arm unit, the position to arrange the muffler is lowered, and in addition to it, the muffler is disposed on the left or right to the vehicle body side, thereby ensuring the angle of bank for the case of being inclined.
The present invention provides a muffler that includes two mufflers disposed one over the other (for example mufflers 501, 506 in the embodiment) and the lower muffler out of these mufflers (for example the muffler 501 in the embodiment) is disposed directly below the rear swing arm unit.
Since the lower muffler out of the two mufflers is disposed directly below the rear swing arm unit, the lower muffler of the two mufflers that is disposed on the left or right to the vehicle body, and thus effectively ensuring the angle of bank for the case of being inclined.
The present invention provides an upper muffler of the two mufflers (for example the muffler 506 in the embodiment) that is disposed on the left or right on the outside of the vehicle body with respect to the lower muffler.
In this manner, since the upper muffler is disposed on the left or right on the outside of the vehicle body with respect to the lower muffler, a further superior design of the vehicle body when viewed from the back is realized.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.